CHICAGO– Actor Jeremy Piven came home to Chicago on May 13th, 2017, to moderate the Gene Siskel Center Renaissance Award tribute to actor Kevin Spacey. Piven, who grew up in nearby Evanston, Ill., has forged a diverse career in Hollywood, and is most well-known for portraying super-agent Ari Gold in the HBO series “Entourage.”
Each year, the Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago celebrates the art of film by honoring a filmmaker who advances that artform. Kevin Spacey was the latest Renaissance Award honoree, and Jeremy Piven moderated a conversation with the Oscar-winning actor.
Jeremy Piven at the Gene Siskel Center Renaissance Award Night
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
Piven was born in New York City to Byrne and Joyce Piven, who became top acting teachers when they moved to Evanston, opening the Piven Theatre Workshop. After training at the New York Tisch School of the Arts, he broke into films alongside Evanston pal John Cusack, and had roles in “Say Anything…” (1989), “The Player” (1992) and “PCU” (1994). At the same time he was a regular on HBO’s “The Larry Sanders Show” (1992) and the ABC-TV sitcom “Ellen.” (1995). He broke out in a big way with his portrayal of Ari Gold in “Entourage” (2004), winning a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor, and reprising the role in the 2015 movie version. Piven recently took an alternative role with the PBS series, “Mr. Selfridge,” portraying a turn-of-the-20th-century American retail mogul for four seasons from 2013 through 2016.
Photographer Joe Arce and Editorial Coordinator Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com were on the Red Carpet at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago, where Jeremy Piven walked with Gene Siskel Center Renaissance Award recipient Kevin Spacey. Along with the Exclusive Portrait by Joe Arce, click on the soundbar below, to hear Piven talk with Patrick McDonald about why he took on the role in “Mr. Selfridge.”
 | By PATRICK McDONALD |